Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-02-05
The Successor to the Stage Driver.

The stage-driver is with the past. He
is deplored by those who, as boys,
hung on the back of the stage as it
thundered along. the monarch of the
road. He is wept over in song and sto-
ry by those whom he was wont to ill
to the upper teeth with wild and
weird stories, and his exit from life is de-
plored by those who hung upon his phi
losophy. For he had philosophy. had
this four-horSe child of nature. He
had communed with nature and mixed
with travelling kickers till he could not
have prevented himself from being
somewhat of philosopher, unless he
had stopped the pors of his skin to pre-
vent philosophy from getting into him
from absorption. But just nature has
left substitute for the stage-driver,
and the substitute is the horse car-dri-
yer. He does not 60 whistling along
the road with the .'Yo-ho" of Dickens,
while the dogs bark and the children
on the sidewalks going to school clap
their hands in ecstacy of Joy.
de does not wind horn and split
the air with the cracker of his whip,
as he touches up the front off horse. for
he has no horse. He is not surrounded
when his journeys end is reached by
admiring crowds, and he does not
swagger the worshipped of all the
world. But he is here. He drives a
mule, with waich he is on intimate
terms He sometimes urges the mule
| into trot and sometimes a gallop on
the toughest part of the road. He
punches him with the car broom to
accelerate his flight at times, but usual
ly he whacks him with the remnants of
what was formerly blacksnake whip.
He, in fact, is true illustration of the
survival of the fittest, the slow plod-
ding, unsatisfactory but get-there-all-
the-same ph9nix which has sprung
from the fiery stage-driver. But be-
cause he is slow he does not lack
philosophy. He studies at all times.
He looks at passenger and studies his
disposition by seeing how many times
he will ring to be let off before getting
mad. He ascertains the exact amount
of amiability in female with bundle
by starting the mule just as she has
turned from putting the fare in the
box. He shows to a nicely how tough
a child is and how well it is prepared
physically to battle with life. by sudden
ly putting on the brakes just as its ma
has told it to get change from the
driver
He stops at the switch Just as every
body's supper is ready, and there dis
cusses the financial condition of the
road. swaps change with his partner,
mayhap, passes word or two on the
crisis in European affairs. and ther
glides away with delberation tha
makes the warm bread at home mouldy
with age before it is eaten. He is no
quarrelsome. but he generally manages
to run the car. He is not impertinent
but woe to him or her who says any
thing witty at his expense. IF hadn
rung | suppose you would have driver
me past where | wanted to get of,
said she; and he replied: That
would. If was a mind reader, mad
am, | wouldn't be street-car driver
1t is probable that any one who talk
TO MIN IN JnlS way VIII neIedl1ct CIV
him notice of where he should stop o
ring the bell. The car-driver is admir-
able. and by himself he is interesting
but in conjunction with bad track an
a bad mule, he becomes in time an oil
iect of abhorrence to all who live aloni
his line. Let us forgive him his fault'
But these are not his faults. -GdlCesto
UfEilU AeUS.